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Monday, October 21, 2013

A huge part of why foster care like Grace & Hope is able to provide is so valuable to children is that it offers them an opportunity to live real life in a family, to have all the experiences a child should have as they grow. Check out this sweet story from a recent report.

Nolan was not home when we arrived. As we wondering where to find him, we leraned that they were in the field with their foster father. He said that they are harvesting peanuts today and the two children (Nolan and Eric) were in the field now. Then he gave us a ride on his bike and took us to the field where from far away, we saw Nolan sitting in his stroller under a tree. Around him were all peanut stocks. Nolan was like a little guard watching the crops. His skin was tan and he looked strong and healthy.

I called Nolan’s name and he gave me a big smile right away. I passed him a drink and his dad helped to open the drink for him immediately. Nolan took several bites and had a break, he then took more bites and looked very content.

According to his foster dad, Nolan enjoys following his parents everywhere. He cries if adults leave him home. Today he wanted to come to the field to harvest peanuts and they had to take him. All the vellagers like Nolan, they cheer him when he passes by their field. Nolan has a sweet tooth, and the locals often share treats with him. He remembers the neighbors, and greets them politely by name.

Thursday, October 17, 2013

Shortly before Elias from Guilin was a baby, he became a part of the Grace & Hope for Children foster care program, with the hope that foster care would help him thrive as he received treatment for his medical needs.

After a year with his foster family, he was growing into a helpful big brother, assisting with his younger foster sister.

He's become a little artist - who loves to doodle and share his artwork.

He is mischievous, and strong, and loves to laugh.

We hope that Elias continues to grow strong and happy in his foster family, until one day he has a forever family of his very own.

Saturday, October 5, 2013

Here is another adorable Grace & Hope for Children alumni, in her mother's words.

Sarah is our 4th child, and while she is itty bitty tiny, she is very mighty indeed! Sarah was well prepared for a family, and knew all of our family names. She was 2.5 years old at adoption, and was ahead of the developmental milestones. She could write/draw (as we found out in the weeks after we got home and she decorated our walls, furniture, clothes, and herself). She could pick up boiled peanuts with chopsticks. She was very verbal. She is also very stubborn! She has some of the most amazing observations, and comes up with some of the most amusing things to say. She is very creative, and loves anything to do with art or sparkly, glittery, girly things. She has told me, "Mom, you can't make me learn how to read." She's also told me that we can not make her learn how to swim or any other number of activities that she really does NOT want to do. However, if she wants to do something she will do whatever it takes to succeed.

Sarah still sleeps with the teddy bear we sent in a care package while we were waiting to adopt her. Her foster family let her have it, and she came to us with that bear "well-loved" and she considers it her bear from her foster family.

Since Sarah co-slept with her foster mom in China, we co-slept until she wanted to sleep in a room with her big sister. After 2.5 years home she told us that she wanted her own room, and we've decorated her bedroom with rainbows. She loves it.

Sarah is a happy, witty, energetic little girl. And she remembers being loved in China. This past April, G&H posted photos from something they did in Nanning with the foster families. Sarah was in my lap while I looked at them. Looking at the photos on Grace and Hope Foundation's page for the Nanning foster families, Sarah said she remembered the room. She said it was loud and she covered her ears and her foster Mom took her out of it to let her eat where it was quieter. Sarah also said that they had fake watermelon there and it would poison you if you ate it. ROFL...I could totally see someone telling Sarah that to keep her from begging to eat it, or to keep her from eating too much! She also thinks she saw a photo of her foster Mom, though I don't know for sure if it was.

Sarah has photos of her foster parents in her room and she hugs them daily. She tells me she misses her Mama and Baba. (She calls us Mommy and Daddy and has NEVER ever called us Mama and Baba. In fact, in China that is what we finally told the guides to tell her to call us and Sarah thought it was HILARIOUS that what she was calling her "Daddy" was so close to what she called poop.)

We are grateful for the gift of this precious child, and for the love her foster family in China shared with her.

To see children who wait for a sponsor in Sarah's SWI, please click here.

Coats & Christmas 4 Kids Donations Here!

If you'd like to donate to our Coats & Christmas 4 Kids Campaign, please click here to do so. The cost is $15 per coat. We hope to fully fund coats for ALL our GHC kiddos by December 21!

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